The present invention is directed to a method of providing selectable relative amounts of regions of traction or slide on a wedge-soled bowling shoe surface, and to a wedge-soled bowling shoe constructed in accordance therewith. The bowling shoe of this invention allows the bowler, among other features to be later described, more precise control over relative amounts of slide or traction action of each shoe. In addition, the bowler can readily change the relative amounts of slide or traction action of each shoe by simply interchanging a replaceable sole member of the desired amount of regions of high or low traction. The change can be individually selected by the bowler for differing conditions and for differing styles of bowling. The present bowling shoe can be configured for either a right- or left-handed bowler by simply selecting the appropriate replaceable sole member. The manufacturer and distributor can reduce inventory, while still meeting varied customer needs.
Among the variables that require consideration in the design and manufacturer of bowling shoes are individual bowling style, the left- or right-handedness of the bowler, the preferred relative amounts of slide and traction for each shoe of a pair, and the surface conditions of the bowler""s shoes in relationship to the bowling lane. Accurate approach to the foul line and precise delivery of the ball generally require that the bowler have the ability to control the slide action and the traction action of each foot independently. Several attempts have been made to construct bowling shoes based on a standard shoe type with a separate raised heel and an arch elevated from the floor or lane surface. Selectable control of the sole surface to meet the individual bowler""s preference then requires specific designs to the separate ball-of-the-sole and the heel regions. Often, manufacturers provide small inserts of varying coefficients of friction materials, so that the bowler must keep track of a confusing number of separate sole attachments. Current bowling shoes are constructed so that a single pair can fit only a left- or right-handed bowler. Although only a relatively small number of bowlers may be left-handed, to meet the needs of all potential customers, inventory must be maintained in all sizes for both left- and right-handed bowlers. This contributes to an unacceptable amount of waste and ultimately increases the cost of the shoe to the bowler.
Typically, a pair of bowling shoes may include a slide shoe and a traction shoe, determined by the bowler""s left- or right-handedness. The sole surface of the slide shoe is generally selected for relative slide action with a sole at least partly comprised of a material with a lower coefficient of friction, for example, natural or synthetic leather, or leather substitutes, including natural or synthetic suede or buckskin leather. The sole surface of the traction shoe is generally selected for good relative traction with a sole at least partly comprised of a material with a higher coefficient of friction, for example, natural or synthetic rubber or rubber substitutes.
McCord, U.S. Pat. No. 2,640,283, issued May 10, 1952, and McCord, U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,661, issued Apr. 3, 1962, each relate to a bowling shoe with a sole insert that extends generally along the ball of the foot. One insert may be exchanged for another, and each insert has a different coefficient of friction. The inserts shown in the ""283 patent each have extending tangs which interfit with slots in the permanent sole area of the shoe. The inserts shown in the ""661 patent attach by means of a hook-and-loop material. Note that the entire permanent area of the sole has a single coefficient of friction surface, and that each insert has a single coefficient of friction surface.
Cohen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,077, issued Jun. 27, 1972, is directed to a bowling shoe with removable cleats attached to apertures in the sole. Each of the cleats may have a single different coefficient of friction, so that by selecting specific cleats, it is said that the bowler may obtain the desired low or high traction characteristics for the sole. Note that the entire permanent area of the sole has a single coefficient of friction surface, and that each insert has a single coefficient of friction surface.
Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,664, issued Jan. 5, 1988, describes a bowling shoe that has a specifically designed heel with different outer and inner bottom surfaces. The outer bottom heel surface has a relatively high coefficient of friction as compared to the inner heel surface. The shoe for the non-sliding foot has a sole with a higher coefficient of friction and a conventional uniform heel surface. Note that the individualization is only to the slide shoe and that the traction shoe is of a traditional style. According to Taylor, a single pair of shoes can only be designed for a right handed bowler or for a left handed bowler and only with a single type of slide action is provided to the slide shoe.
Famolare, U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,198, issued Aug. 6, 1996, relates to a bowling shoe, in which the shoe sole has a replaceable slide pad only on the tread surface of a shoe with a standard raised heel. The slide pad extends from the toe end of the shoe sole to about the arch portion and extends across the width of the tread surface. The removable slide pad that has a peripheral margin about equal to the peripheral margin of the slide area on the tread surface. The heel also has separate selectively replaceable heels, to provide a different desired coefficient of friction to the heel. Note that each insert (to the ball region or the heel region) has only a single coefficient of friction surface. Note also that the replaceable portion of the sole is only provided on the slide shoe. No selectability is provided for the traction shoe, nor does Famolare allow for changing the left- or right-handedness of a pair of shoes by interchanging the replaceable slide area.
These and other bowling shoe constructions have been proposed and are currently available. None of them provide all of the advantages of the present invention, including, among other features described herein, selectability of amounts of regions of different coefficients of friction of the sole surface. None of these prior bowling shoes offer a wedge-soled shoe with selectable areas of slide or traction over the entire sole surface. None of these prior bowling shoe arrangements have the ability to designate either shoe to be the xe2x80x9cslidexe2x80x9d shoe or the xe2x80x9ctractionxe2x80x9d shoe simply by applying a selected replaceable sole member to the shoe, thus changing the left-/right-handedness of the pair of shoes.
The present invention is a wedge-soled bowling shoe with a replaceable sole member. The shoe comprises a shoe upper, a wedge sole mounted to the shoe upper, and a plurality of replaceable sole members. The wedge sole has a replaceable sole member receiving area. The replaceable sole member receiving area extends from the toe to the heel of the wedge sole. Each of the plurality of replaceable sole members has two surface regions. A first region is of a higher coefficient of friction material and a second region is of a lower coefficient of friction material. A sole with a relatively greater percentage of higher to lower coefficient of friction materials on its surface will have relatively more traction characteristics of the pair, while a sole with a relatively greater percentage of lower to higher coefficient of friction materials on its surface will have relatively more slide characteristics of the pair. Thus, in a pair of shoes of this invention a first replaceable sole member of a pair has two regions of different coefficients of friction to provide slide characteristics to the sole, and a second replaceable sole member of the pair has two regions of different coefficients of friction to provide traction characteristics to the sole. Each replaceable sole member is sized and shaped to the replaceable sole member receiving area. The mating faces of the replaceable sole member and the replaceable sole member receiving area are removably secured to each other, such as by a hook-and-loop material or by adhesive. Securing to the shoe a replaceable sole member with two regions of different coefficients of friction to provide traction characteristics to the sole designates that shoe as the traction shoe of a pair. Securing to the shoe a replaceable sole member with two regions of different coefficients of friction to provide slide characteristics to the sole designates that shoe as the slide shoe of a pair.
Each of the plurality of replaceable sole members of this invention has two surface regions. A first region is of a higher coefficient of friction material and a second region is of a lower coefficient of friction material. A sole with a relatively greater amount of higher to lower coefficient of friction materials on its surface will have relatively more traction characteristics, while a sole with a relatively greater amount of lower to higher coefficient of friction materials on its surface will have relatively more slide characteristics. Thus, in a pair of replaceable sole members of this invention a first member of the pair has two regions of different coefficients of friction to provide slide characteristics, and a second member of the pair has two regions of different coefficients of friction to provide traction characteristics. Each replaceable sole member is sized and shaped to the replaceable sole member receiving area. The mating faces of the replaceable sole member and the replaceable sole member receiving area are removably secured to each other, such as by a hook-and-loop material or by adhesive.
The wedge sole may have a permanent sole area in addition to the replaceable sole member receiving area. The permanent sole area may have a single surface region of a single coefficient of friction material, or it may have two surface regions, a first region of the higher coefficient of friction material extending from the heel and a second region of the lower coefficient of friction material extending from the toe. The replaceable sole member and the permanent sole area are preferably co-planar with each other. The replaceable sole member may be of two separately attachable sections, a first section corresponding to the first region and a second section corresponding to the second region. The sole of the shoe may have a flange extending peripherally outward from the shoe upper, and the replaceable sole member may have a toe end peripheral margin substantially equal to a toe end peripheral margin of the sole flange to removably secure the replaceable sole. It is an essential feature of a pair of bowling shoes of this invention, that a single pair of shoes may be adaptable to either a left- or right-handed bowler, or to accommodate other bowler characteristics and/or preferences, simply by attaching a pair of replaceable sole members to the pair to provide the desired relative qualities of slide and/or traction to either shoe of a pair.
This invention is also a method of providing different relative amounts of slide and traction independently to each shoe of a pair of bowling shoes. This embodiment of the invention comprises the following steps. Provide a pair of bowling shoe uppers. Provide a pair of bowling shoe wedge soles, each having a replaceable sole member receiving area. Mount each wedge sole to its respective shoe upper. Provide a replaceable sole member sized and shaped to mate with the replaceable sole member receiving area. Provide the replaceable sole member independently with regions of two different coefficients of friction material. Provide a plurality of such replaceable sole members, with each member independently having relative amounts of the two different coefficient of friction materials different from each other member. Establish the relative amount of slide for one shoe of the pair by securing to one shoe sole a selected replaceable sole member having a chosen amount of two different coefficients of friction of materials to provide slide characteristics. Establish the relative amount of traction for the other shoe of the pair by securing to the other shoe sole a selected replaceable sole member having a chosen percentage of two different coefficients of friction of material to provide traction characteristics. Thus, either shoe of the pair may independently be a slide shoe or a traction shoe, and may have the desired degree of slide or traction, according to the relative amounts of the two different types of materials. The replaceable sole member may be removably attached to the replaceable sole member receiving area, as by a hook and loop fastener material or by adhesive.